Nursing student by day, goaltender by night

As the first hockey player to make their way through St. Cloud State University’s nursing program, Violet “Jojo” Chobak is used to handling pressure.

The ability to focus on both areas is also what drew her to SCSU in the first place.

After playing two seasons for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Chobak was looking to get more time on the ice as well as shift away from her biology major. While she initially chose the major to pursue veterinary medicine later on, it just wasn’t the right fit. Looking to stay in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and also becoming increasingly interested in nursing, a campus visit to St. Cloud State brought things into perspective.

“They gave me a tour of the facilities and the head person there helped talk me through what that would look like. They seemed confident I would be able to do both hockey and nursing, which a lot of schools don't necessarily offer,” Chobak said. “I thought that was great. Them telling me that, ‘It's possible, it's doable, we can make it work,’ was super reassuring for me.”

In her final year in the nursing program and as a Huskies goaltender, she is currently working through the critical care sections of her nursing courses. While Chobak said she responds well to the high-intensity pressure of nursing areas such as the cardiac intensive care unit, she’s not positive what speciality she’d like to focus on after graduating in 2026. Still, she knows she’s pursuing the right field for her.

“I think the thing I really like most about nursing is the problem-solving aspect. You're constantly analyzing and assessing things and responding to them accordingly. I think there's a lot of responsibility in that, but in a good way where you're pushed to grow in yourself,” she said. “And also, it's helping other people. I think making a positive impact on other people's lives in ways beyond just their physical health during nursing is huge for me. You gain a sense of worth from that as well.”

Her time on the women’s hockey team has been an equally important part of Chobak’s Husky experience. She was first involved in the sport as a child thanks to her two older brothers.

“We’re all 15 months apart, so we needed a sport that was going to tire us out and hockey seemed to do the trick. But in itself, I think hockey is really unique in that the team is extremely tight. It’s not like football where you have 100 people on a team and you don't know everyone's name. It's a very tight-knit group,” she said. “I think there's a lot of community that comes with hockey, especially in Minnesota. You always know somebody who knows somebody and there's connections everywhere, and I think that's super cool. And then beyond that is just the competitive aspect — that’s what keeps me loving hockey so much. I love the ability to work hard at something. Sometimes you struggle, sometimes you fail — but it is just a great experience and a great opportunity to build that resilience."

Chobak credits her nursing instructors as well as her hockey coaches with leading her through her time at St. Cloud State. She said nursing department chair Dr. Jane Bagley was the one who first got Chobak into the nursing program.

“She helped me work through the scheduling conflicts and stuff and she was there from the first semester,” Chobak said. “She's definitely helped bridge that gap.”

Her hockey coaches have been equally supportive of Chobak and her dual interests.

“My head coach last year, Brian (Idalski), he was super supportive of all that. He really turned the culture around for our team, which was great,” Chobak said. “And now we have Mira (Jalosuo), our new head coach, who also has done a great job. I always say that I just love how much she wants to win, and she brings a great fire and environment to our team.”

In addition to faculty, staff and coaching support, philanthropy has also assisted Chobak in her time on campus. She thanked supporters of St. Cloud State for making it easier for her to juggle an intensive academic program as well as a highly competitive athletics program.

“Balancing rigorous academics with athletic commitments is both challenging and rewarding. Your philanthropy alleviates financial pressures, allowing me to focus wholeheartedly on my studies and athletic performance,” she said. “Thank you for investing in my future and the futures of students like me.”

Chobak isn’t sure what the next step is, and that’s okay. There are opportunities to play professionally, but she also wants to continue her nursing career. She has spoken with a Professional Women’s Hockey League player previously who had done something similar. The future is wide open, but right now it’s about enjoying her last year at SCSU and being in the moment.

“Knowing it's my last year of college hockey is really sad, but I am just trying to make it a focus this year to have fun and enjoy my last year,” Chobak said. “I think it's exciting for the most part, and really rewarding. I’m excited to see what’s next.”